1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to providing a custom or pre-fabricated ankle brace. The ankle brace provides medial-lateral support yielding varus and valgus control to protect from excessive rotation or extreme medial-lateral motion that could go beyond normal end-range of motion, causing injury. This invention protects against ankle instability or injury during normal or extreme human locomotion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical ankle support orthoses use flexible materials to provide a comfortable fit and little, if any, motion restriction, and thus are very limited in support. These ankle braces may not prevent injury in excessive activity associated with physical exercise programs or athletic events. Ankle braces which do include a combination of fabric cover with rigid or semi-rigid inserts, provide support but severely limit ankle mobility. In addition, current ankle braces suffer from lack of durability, especially if the person using them is involved in aggressive athletic activity.
In response to the limitations of such ankle braces, the athletic industry typically uses adhesive tape to protect athletes since it provides an adequate support, but often limits mobility. However, adhesive tape is not durable and often breaks down during use. The tape is generally not re-usable. Still further, before every athletic event a person needs to take the time to tape their ankle.
There exists a need in improving conventional ankle braces to treat acute or chronic ankle conditions without either limiting mobility or failing to provide sufficient support, while offering a level of comfort and durability suitable for intense, athletic applications that can be worn inside a common civilian or athletic footwear. The improved ankle brace would be durable, reusable and provide the correct balance between support and mobility when used in conjunction with a shoe.